


Half-Seas Over

by Gabby (Kirahsoka)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Awkwardness, Drunken Confessions, Drunken Kissing, DyingHere!Barriss, F/F, Fluff, Needy!Ahsoka, barrissoka, light angst i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:33:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25229890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kirahsoka/pseuds/Gabby
Summary: If maid or widow you would win, and wear your wished-for treasure,You'll find it best to fill your skin with just the proper measure.With less than that to feed your flame, you'll prove too cold a lover:While more might overshoot your aim; So woo her-half-seas overFrom a British Bacchanalian Song, 1869Ahsoka well overshoots the proper measure. Fortunately, Barriss finds a way to feed her own flame.Or..."The one in which Ahsoka thinks a drink or ten will help her confess her feelings to Barriss."
Relationships: Barriss Offee/Ahsoka Tano
Comments: 23
Kudos: 65





	Half-Seas Over

**Author's Note:**

> When writing, I imagined this as an AU where Barriss and Ahsoka are young Jedi knights right after the war ends. So, no bombing and purge but still plenty of trauma. However, this story can also sit in the canon universe if you prefer. It's of little relevance to the fun.

“Ahsoka, I don’t think you should have anymore.”

Nostrils flaring, the woman swiped her replenished jet juice off the server’s tray. Maintaining her defiant gaze, Ahsoka emptied the entire mug in sloppy gulps and then slammed it onto the table. “That right?”

Crossing arms over her chest, Barriss huffed, “This is ridiculous. We’re going to have to call an air taxi to get back to the Temple.”

She glowered. “I’m fine!”

“You’re always fine until you attempt to get up. I never would have agreed to this outing if I’d known you intended to indulge like a Corellian smuggler.”

Ahsoka reared back in her chair. “What did you think the words _go out to celebrate_ meant? Quietly sip water while we watch everyone else have fun?! Just because you’ve decided to be a complete prude, sticking your nose in the air with your half-finished berry wine like you’d rather be anywhere else, I’m supposed to ruin my night?”

She flinched. Throat tightening, Barriss choked out, “You’re right. I’m obviously inhibiting your fun.” Stiffly rising from her seat, she forced herself not to bolt for the door. “Have a good celebration.”

A hand snagged her wrist. “Don’t!” Ahsoka tugged her around, skin glistening in a sheen of sweat. “You can’t leave your totally wasted date to fend for themselves, even if they’re being a jerk.” Her posture sagged, words picking up a slight slur. “Ok, yesss, you can. But p-please don’t.” The woman’s chin sunk to her chest. “Mmm sorry. Didn’t mean it.”

Barriss blinked. Then, blinked some more. Her mouth opened, closed, opened again, and finally said, “Date?”

She raised her head. “What?”

“You said _date._ As in, this is one.”

Her glazed expression snapped into sudden focus. “I did? Uh, I was just…” Ahsoka glanced around the bar with a strangled laugh that continued far longer than it should. “Funny what words pop out when you’ve had one too many, huh? Guess you were right. Should have stopped. Yep. Lesson learned and all. Oh, didn’t you say you wanted to go? Sure thing. Let me pay the bill.” She hopped up and then crashed to the floor.

Barriss brought a palm to her face and groaned. “Tano.” Bending over, she dragged the woman back into her seat. “I don’t want to say I told you so but…”

Ahsoka blasted fuzzy lasers from her eyes as she slumped against the table. “Saying the thing you’re pretending you don’t want to say is the same thing as saying it, ya know.”

It took a second to detangle the convoluted sentence. A creeping grin followed. “Well, I don’t want to say you’re right but…”

A blank face stared at her until lighting up with a crooked smile. “Time I was right ‘bout something.” The sharpness faded into fogginess and back again as Ahsoka apparently struggled to focus. Curling fingers around Barriss’s arm, she pulled her against the chair. “So sorry. Please, don’t leave me.”

They were so close Ahsoka’s body heat prickled her skin. Barriss gazed down into the glassy blue eyes. They looked so lost and vulnerable in this moment. _If you were mine, I would take such good care of you._ She cleared her throat. “How could I leave my totally wasted date to fend for herself?”

Her hand fumbled around until finding Barriss’s. Crushing it in a vice grip, she stuttered, “D-do you mean that?”

Knowing she shouldn’t but doing it anyway, Barriss swept an askew lek off Ahsoka’s shoulder. Tracing a blue stripe decorating the headtail, she murmured, “Do you want me to mean it?”

Ahsoka’s jaw trembled. Then, she buried her head into Barriss’s stomach. “So much.”

Sucking in a breath, she raised shaky fingers and caressed the montrals pressed against her. “Why won’t you ever tell me that when you’re not about to pass out?”

The silence extended to the point that a knot started twisting her insides. Perhaps, Ahsoka had indeed lost consciousness. But then red-rimmed eyes lifted to hers. “It’s stupid. Jedi can’t have a real—why would you—” Her gaze dropped. “We can go now. I know you don't want me. Don’t feel like you have to be nice about it.”

Her heart clenched. “Dammit, Tano, you are so—argh!” Grabbing Ahsoka’s face, she thrust lips into hers. 

The other woman squeaked and then stretched herself up into the kiss. Gripping Barriss’s forearms, she strained to get more leverage. Ahsoka whimpered and pushed harder against her. 

Sliding a hand around her head, Barriss cradled the twitching lekku and bent further down. Opening her mouth, she let the woman’s tongue sloppily explore her own. Ahsoka darted hyperactive fingers along Barriss’s arms, shoulders, the sides of her face, and finally tangled them in her hair. She dragged sharp nails over her scalp with an escalating whine.

Pressing herself practically on top of the woman, Barriss sucked on the tongue roving across hers. Tightening her grip, she dug thumbs into a lek. Ahsoka’s body shuddered, legs jerking against Barriss’s as she moaned into her mouth. 

It was messy, awkwardly positioned, and tasted of burning jet juice. Barriss didn’t care. She had fallen into one of her fantasies. _It is a fantasy. She’s drunk, Offee._ Cringing, she broke away.

Ahsoka gasped a cry. “Did I mess up? Do you not really want me?”

Circling fingers over the flushed forehead, she attempted to soothe the distress. “Of course, I do. That wasn’t me being nice. That was me doing exactly what I wanted for once. The problem is you can’t do what you want right now.”

“But I am! _You_ are what I want!”

Her stomach fluttered at the declaration, and she almost repeated her insanity. Taking a steadying breath, Barriss tried again. “Ahsoka, you’re cognitively impaired. How do I know you mean any of this? How do _you_ know you mean any of it? Now, it’s time to go.”

“I do!” Scrunching up in her seat, she pleaded, “Please. We can’t go unless you believe me.”

Glancing around the bar, Barriss was relieved to see no one had taken an interest in the mild drama playing out at their corner table. She knelt beside Ahsoka’s chair. “We’re only returning to the temple, so you can sleep it off. We can talk about what both of us want tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow will be too late! I’ll probably forget alot, and I’ve messed this up. You don’t understand…” Slushy words started tumbling out. “W-w-why do you think we came here? Why I sucked down all those slugs? It’s the only way. Cause it’s always a five-speeder crash with d-droidekas on backup and a walker clomping over what’s left. Like the gar-gaaaaarden. You were mad at me for days!”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Hold on. Are you saying when you dragged me to the Temple garden last month, started an argument about which flower was more beautiful, and then stomped off like a petulant child you were actually trying to confess your feelings?”

“Um… m-maaaaaaaybe.” Her shoulders hunched. “See, I looked it up on the holonet and it said planning ‘head makes you less nervy. There was this idea to t-take the person somewhere pretty and tell them it’s like them and—the flower was s'pposed be you, but you hated that flower! It didn’t go how—I freaked out, ok? That’s what I mean!”

Barriss stared for a few seconds before bursting into laughter. She couldn’t help it as her heart released both tears and hope. “Ahsoka Tano, you are a disaster.” She lifted the woman’s chin. “But you’re _my_ disaster.”

Ahsoka swallowed and then whispered, “If we go, do you promise to say that again in the morning?”

“Absolutely, my beautiful disaster.” Letting her demanding heart call the shots one more time, she leaned closer. “Though, since I have no idea what state you’ll be in or when I’ll be able to get appropriate satisfaction, I’m going to need a little chaser to tide me over.”

Wide blue eyes blinked at her, a crease gathering between them. It was adorable. “Uh… k.”

Wrapping fingers around the nape of her neck, Barriss stole another far too brief kiss as Ahsoka mumbled against her lips, “Mmm-oh!”

_______

Barriss dumped Ahsoka onto the bed and started pulling off her boots. “Force, Tano. I hope you appreciate this.” Not even caring where they landed, she tossed each boot over her shoulder. “Sneaking into the Temple while hauling your dead weight is no easy task.”

“Buuuuuuut now you get to undress me and put me to bed!” she declared with childish delight.

Heat flared her cheeks. Ignoring the remark, she unfastened the woman’s belt and hastily stripped her pants. “Stashing you behind a statue because Master Kenobi picked tonight to wander the corridors was a special highlight. I had to keep having coughing fits to cover up your moaning. Then, put up with him repeatedly offering to escort me to the medbay!”

Ahsoka cackled. “Obi-Wan, so mean. He always knows.”

Digging a nightshirt out of the dresser, she hissed through her teeth. “I’m glad you find this amusing. All because you thought not being able to function would somehow be a miracle cure for your inability to simply say what you’re feeling.” Barriss applied liberal amounts of dry cleansing powder to the garment. She certainly couldn’t trust herself to spread it over the woman’s naked body, but the aroma of jet juice and potent earthiness emanating from Ahsoka was driving her crazy. The kind of crazy that wouldn’t help escape this situation with her principles intact. Returning to the bed, she ordered, “Tunic off.”

The Togruta wriggled around, accompanied by wild flailing. Then, a fuzzy grin emerged from her now shed tunic. “You love me anyway, right?”

Narrowly avoiding entrancement by the well-toned figure on display, Barriss tugged the nightshirt over it with a harrumph. “Maybe.”

Ahsoka stuck out her bottom lip. “Don’t like that answer.”

A slight smile edged up. “Guess you’ll have to ask me again tomorrow.” Barriss yelped as she was unceremoniously yanked onto the bed. Landing on the woman’s chest, she stared down into swirling blue eyes, any reprimand dying in transit.

Arms slid around her waist as Ahsoka whispered, “Can it be tomorrow now?” Lifting her head, she pressed a slow caress of lips to Barriss’s own. It was so soft, so gentle. Ahsoka pulled back with a trembling breath before delivering another tender kiss.

Raising her hands to cup Ahsoka’s face, she returned it in kind. Their lips touched again and again, drawing out longer with each melding of skin. Warmth oozed from every pore of her body. Her heart floated in a weightless chest. Barriss had experienced many extraordinary things in her life. All of them paled in this moment. _I never want this to end._

_Tomorrow, Offee. Tomorrow._ It took every ounce of willpower to break away.

As Barriss sat up, Ahsoka reached after her with a cry. “No, come back.”

She grimaced. “We can’t, Ahsoka.”

“Why? A few drinks doesn’t change how I feel!” Her voice began to slur once more, only this time it sounded on the brink of tears. “Pleeeeease, Barriss.” Clumsy hands clutched at her arm. “Please.”

Swallowing hard, she took the woman’s hands and held them. Needing to find a reason to convince herself as much as Ahsoka, she calmed her mind. “We’re not supposed to engage in a relationship that could lead to attachment. That’s one of the reasons you’ve been so worried about bringing it up, right? Having romantic feelings for each other is only one piece of embarking on something that could change both of our lives. Crossing that line requires your full faculties. How can I know you won’t regret it in the morning? Besides, don’t you have trouble remembering details after you drink sometimes?”

She looked away. “So?”

Gaining confidence in her decision, Barriss continued, “What if you wake up in the morning with me in your bed but don’t know why or how? Don’t even remember us being together? How would that feel? How do you think it would make _me_ feel?”

Her eyes careened around. When they returned to her, tears were glistening. “At least I’d know you wanted—if we w-wait, I’ll mess it up.”

“Not waiting would be us messing it up. We’ll be fine. You’re acting like things reset to zero tomorrow.” Watching Ahsoka’s posture crumple, Barriss realized logic was getting her nowhere. She trailed fingers across her montrals with a quiet sigh. “Please, Ahsoka. I promise we’ll figure things out. For tonight, let me make our decisions. Will you do that for me?”

She blinked up at her and then rolled into Barriss’s side. Finally, a small voice answered, “I’ll do anything for you.” Raising her head, she spoke in such a subdued tone that Barriss could barely make out the words. “C-can you stay with me? You being here makes me feel… more ok.”

_Argh!_ Releasing a long exhale, she said, “Alright. Go to sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

Ahsoka smiled like a youngling who’d just been praised by Master Yoda. She yawned and snuggled closer. “Do like that answer.” Five seconds later, her body went limp with a loud snore.

Barriss groaned. “Tano, I swear. So many ways to tell me how you feel, and you choose the one that requires me to suffer in extended limbo. I am going to make you pay for this.” She spiraled a finger down the lek now resting on her thigh as a grin crept onto her face. “Starting the day _after_ tomorrow.”

_______

When Ahsoka woke up, her first thought was she’d somehow gotten run over by a speeder. Every muscle ached. Her stomach revolted against its confines. Needles spiked her temples.

Refusing to open her throbbing eyes, she frowned and felt her body. Despite having no memory of changing, she was wearing her oversized nightshirt. It always bunched up in strange places. In fact, she only kept the frustrating garment because Barriss gave it to her. Sniffing a few times, her frown deepened. _I smell like… lilacs._ It was as if someone had doused her in one of those dry cleansing powders while she slept. _This is weird._

Rolling onto her side and hoping she hadn’t left her lights at full power, Ahsoka slitted eyelids. _Um…_ A mirage was curled up in the armchair by her bed, head primly tucked against folded hands, wearing nothing but a scanty undertunic and black leggings. _This is a dream, right?_

It took another minute for her sleep-addled brain to clear. When it kickstarted, she shot up and blurted, “Barriss?!”

Jolting awake, the Mirialan started rubbing her eyes but then stiffened. Gaze locking on Ahsoka, she scooted forward and gripped the arms of her chair. “Good morning. How are you feeling?”

“Erm, I’ll live.” Ahsoka massaged her parched throat. “What—why—you’re sleeping in my quarters.”

Barriss tilted her head. “Do you not remember last night?”

“Course I do.” She scrunched her face. “Sort of. Ok, not really. I remember us arriving at the bar and… yeah. Did I drink alot? I’m not good at retaining memories with alcohol. It’s to do with Togruta biochemical processes to expel toxins or something. The same reason we’re resistant to alot of poisons. Master Ti once told me the more we indulge, the more we lose. Of course, I think she was trying to instill some philosophical lesson about discipline and—” Realizing she was rambling, Ahsoka cringed. “Sorry, not important.”

The woman smirked. “Actually, it is. That makes my sacrifice satisfying.”

“Ok… And, uh, why are you here? Not that I don’t want you to be. Or do want you to be,” she added quickly. _Gah!_ “What I mean is, I’m not saying it’s good or bad that you are. I don’t care either way. Well, by don’t care I don’t mean I don’t care _care._ Or that I don’t care about you. Because I do. Alot. When I say alot, that’s a more general—” Ahsoka cut herself off before she dug a hole all the way to the planet core.

An amused expression flitted across Barriss’s face. “Yes? So, what is it you’re asking me?”

Her stomach churned at the possibilities. _I messed it all up. I know I have. Stupid, Tano. Stupid, stupid plan._ Pulling knees to her chest, she mumbled, “What happened last night?”

Barriss chewed on her lip and then straightened. “The answer depends on what happens next.” Moving to the bed, she laid a hand on Ahsoka’s face. “I made my totally wasted date a promise, and I’m going to keep it.” Piercing blue eyes held hers and didn’t let go. “Ahsoka Tano, you are a disaster. But you’re _my_ disaster.”

Ahsoka’s lungs halted and then began to stutter breaths. “Does that mean what it sounds like?”

Fingers twisted over her cheek. “Is that what you want it to mean?”

Her chest was on fire, throat burning, head spinning. Heat streaked behind each brush of fingers on her skin. _Don’t mess this up. Don’t mess this up. But what if—no, stop thinking! Why can’t you just tell her?_

“You won’t mess it up,” Barriss murmured. “I want you to be mine. The question is do you want me?”

_Say yes, dammit!_ Before she got lost in her usual maze of consequences, fancy words, and terror, Ahsoka spit out, “So much.”

The woman’s face lit up. “See? You can do it without half a case of jet juice.”

Ahsoka’s mouth fell open. “Jet—jet juice?! You’re joking, right? One slug puts me on the floor. Are you saying I—wait. Did you say _case_?”

Laughing, Barriss leaned closer. “I’ll tell you about it later. In fact, let’s figure out everything later. There are more pressing matters of concern. I’ve been a good girl all night in the face of temptation even a Jedi master couldn’t endure. Now, reward my suffering.”

Her chest tightened as Ahsoka’s mind raced a thousand directions at once. If she’d be a bad kisser. Being bad at other things Barriss wanted. Was she a bad Jedi. How they’d ever make this work. If Barriss changed her mind. The many ways Ahsoka could ruin everything. What exactly she’d said last night. How in the bleeding Force she’d stumbled her way into this moment.

Soft lips ghosted across hers, and Ahsoka shivered. Barriss whispered, “No more worrying today. Just kiss me, my beautiful disaster.”

A silly grin split her face. Grabbing Barriss, Ahsoka pulled her down onto the bed and did exactly what she wanted for once.

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by a drinking song in an 1869 collection* of British songs & verse. (I stumbled upon this gem not too far past the one on Darwin's Origin of the Species. Those Victorians. Such naughty scamps.) How could I resist? Tell me the verse in the summary doesn't scream, 'Drunk Ahsoka totally forgets the half part of the advice when trying to confess her feelings to Barriss'. What? Just me? Oh.
> 
> I put a slightly different spin on their characterizations. Being confident or uptight in one aspect of your life doesn't necessarily translate to other areas. Otherwise, my only thought was drunk!Ahsoka torments tryingtodotheRiGhTtHiNgHeRe!Barriss. Oh, and fluff.
> 
> _This story does have the distinction of being the first time I've used the alternative possessive style for Barriss (Barriss' vs. Barriss's). Just to see if the triple S mutilation still makes my eyes go fuzzy during editing. Yep. Sure does._
> 
> *For anyone that shares my weird brand of nerdiness, you can peruse the referenced collection here: [https://books.google.com/books?id=JGECAAAAQAAJ](https://bitly.com/2ZVexTZ)


End file.
